1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to lottery systems for conducting lottery games and casino gaming systems. More particularly, the invention relates to lottery games that incorporate words and phrases into the play of the game.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many governments and/or gaming organizations sponsor wagering games known as lotteries. A typical lottery game entails players selecting permutations or combinations of numbers. This is followed by a “draw,” wherein the lottery randomly selects a combination or permutation of numbered balls. Prizes are awarded based on the number of matches between a player's selections and the drawn numbers. Examples are the well-publicized, multi-million-dollar-jackpot lotteries popular throughout the world.
Lotteries have become an important source of income to governments as they shoulder much of the financial burden for education and other programs. As governments have grown more dependent on lotteries it has become a challenge to sustain public interest. One approach to invigorating lottery sales is to expand game content beyond traditional combination/permutation games. The new games may help keep current players, as well as draw in new players. One potential area to expand game content is that of word games.